A Mouse By Any Other Name
by mandragoran
Summary: When a mouse turns up dead eyebrow are raised, but when his bike shows up in the middle of a Plutarkian fight with a new rider, the freedom fighters are sent to investigate
1. One

Title: A mouse by Any Other Name  
  
Author: Mandragoran  
  
Rating: R (For violence)  
  
Disclaimer: The Bikermice do not belong to me, they belong to other people other then me...the other mice characters belong to me though...please ask permission before using them...thanks  
  
  
  
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The sound of metal on metal filled the old abandioned Plutarkian  
  
base.  
  
"How much longer?" A voice winned  
  
"Not much I'm almost there..." Another replied  
  
"I'm sick of being stuck here....how much longer?"  
  
"Would you shut up?!"  
  
The sound of metal snaping and a door swinging open.  
  
"There!" The two voices said together. Footsteps padded down the  
  
empty coridors, but oddly enough it was only one set. The door  
  
to the old base opened for the first time in about five years  
  
and a figure steped out into the red sands of Mars. She was  
  
female about five foot in height. Her red hair that hung down to  
  
her waist was like liquid moten and her skin like ash. On closer  
  
look you could see what was a tail. It dragged behind her in the  
  
sand making pattens in the shifting sands. She wore the tattered  
  
remains of some kind of uniform, of what is undefinable.  
  
"Where are we?" She asked squinting in the sun.  
  
"How the hell would I know?" She answered herself but in a almost  
  
diffrent sounding voice.  
  
"I just thought..."  
  
"Shut up! No one asked you!" The woman stood there in the sand  
  
arguing for all apeariences with herself.  
  
She heard the sounds of motorcycle's approaching and one part of  
  
her almost shouted in joy and the other sneared in contempt. She  
  
ducked into the shaddows of the doorway crouching low in the  
  
dirt. A lone rider came over the sand trailing dust behind him  
  
like a typhoon.  
  
"Easy prey..." The meaner side said and slunk through the sand.  
  
The rider didn't see her until she was in his path. He slambed  
  
on his breaks and she jumped at him. He struggled in her grip  
  
and she slambed her elbow into his unprotected throat, crushing  
  
his windpipe. He spasmed for a moment and went still.  
  
"Why did you do that?" She asked as she moved her hands over the  
  
young man's clothing taking them off.  
  
"We need his clothing and his bike." She took off his helment and  
  
it was a young mouse underneith.  
  
"A mouse?" She gestured to his tail and then their own. "Do you  
  
think we arethe same species as this one?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, only survival matters....besides he didn't  
  
help us back at the building did he? Didn't let us do when the  
  
rest left? Didn't find us? We helped ourself and that's how it  
  
will always be!"  
  
She undressed the young mouse and dressed in his clothing.  
  
"I wonder why his ears are so large? We don't have such large  
  
ears...."  
  
"Then were not like him and it doesn't matter." She climb aboard  
  
the motorcycle and sped off over the dunes, this seemed famillar  
  
to her.  
  
"Were to now?"  
  
"We're going to make them pay for hurting us...make them pay for  
  
even thinking of hurting us! We shall have or revenge and then  
  
we will have some more!" An inhuman laugh rippled from her  
  
throat her lips twisting up in an evil smile.  
  
'  
  
Zip' A ziper closed the nylon bag and two mice lifted it up and  
  
bought it into the compound.  
  
Carbine rubed her fingers against her temples. "Any leads  
  
Chrome?" She asked to the orange mouse by her side.  
  
"Sorry," He said, shruging his shoulders. "Me and Jess  
  
found him out by that old Plutarikan base, you know the one out  
  
by the southern desert?" She nodded and he continued "Found him  
  
just like that...poor bugger."  
  
"Wonderful." Carbine sighed, her tail flicking through  
  
the air. "Just what this planent needs more plutarkians."  
  
"I don't think the Plutarks did it." Jess came up between  
  
the two of them and folded her arms over her chest. "There were  
  
tail marks in the sand, maybe a rat?"  
  
"Makes sence," Chrome nodded "Rats and Mice don't get  
  
along."  
  
"True," Carbine sighed but was still frowing. "But I can  
  
see a Rat taking his bike but his clothes?"  
  
"Not gona get far in a Freedom Fighter garb!" Jess  
  
muttered "He'll stick out like a soar thumb."  
  
"I don't like this, not one bit." Carbine turned around  
  
and looked towards the compound. "STOKE!!" She bellowed.  
  
About a minute later an older mouse walked out of the  
  
compound and towards the three of them.  
  
"You called?" He asked in a dry sarcastic voice.  
  
"I want guards increased around here." She gestured  
  
around. "And I don't want any mice going out alone."  
  
"Slow down girl." Stoke shook his head "The 'don't go out  
  
alone' we can manage but 'the extra guards' is going to be a  
  
problem. We're under maned as is!"  
  
"Just do it!" She snaped at him and turned on her heel  
  
marching back into the compound.  
  
Stoke muttered something snide under his breath and  
  
turned towards Jess and Chrome.  
  
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked  
  
"As a matter of fact.." he gave Jess a meaningfull look  
  
and picked her up, slinging her over his broad shoulder.  
  
"CHROME!" Jess protested "You chouder head! Let Me  
  
Down!!"  
  
"Patiance Lover." He promiced a hidden hint in his voice.  
  
"And stop calling me that!" Jess thwaked him up back of  
  
the head and he chuckled.  
  
"Sure thing lover!"  
  
"AHHHHH!!! MEN!"  
  
Stoker shook his head and went inside to see where in the  
  
world he could conjure up some extra guards.  
  
  
  
III.  
  
Jess leaned her head on the window pane and looked across  
  
the slowly lighting Martain sand. Rain would suit her mood right  
  
now but when was the last time it had rained here? Months? It  
  
felt like years....She ran her hands over her arms and folded  
  
them across her stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit  
  
down on her lip to force them back, they sparkled in protest.  
  
Dry lightneing flashed across the sky and she was blinded for a  
  
moment. Damn it wasn't fair. She'd only been back here for about  
  
two years but it seemed that she had aged centurys in the last  
  
26 months. She placed her palm flat against the pane and lowered  
  
her head squeezing her eyes shut. The memories still hurt and  
  
she tryed to change her thoughs to something else. Turning from  
  
the window she looked over to the bed where Chrome lay fast  
  
asleep. Did she love him? No, she didn't think so. Cared deeply  
  
but not loved. She shivered in the cool night air and was  
  
suddenly aware of how cold and how alone she felt in this world.  
  
Moving back over to the bed she sliped under the sheets  
  
and curled up against Chrome's side. He stiried in his sleep and  
  
looked down at her.  
  
"Don't tell me your up for a second round already?" He  
  
said in a dreamy voice. She snuggled into his chest and he put  
  
an arm around her to find her shaking slightly.  
  
"Hey Lover," He looked down worry on his face. "You okay?  
  
Your backs not bothering you again, is it?"  
  
She shook her head no and burrind her face into his fur  
  
letting herslf cry.  
  
"Oh doll...shhhhhhh." He murmered stroking her hair.  
  
"It's going to be okay, I'm hear for ya...."  
  
She pulled back from him. "I don't need your simpithy!"  
  
Lightening flashed in the sky and reflected in her eyes. "Don't  
  
you dare pity me!"  
  
He stoped himself from being snarky with her he could  
  
feel her pain and he knew that she did this when she was scared.  
  
"I don't. But I'm always here for ya Jess you know that."  
  
Her eyes softened and she reached out and stroked his  
  
face. He closed his eyes at her gentle touch. "I-i'm sorry  
  
Chrome."  
  
He smiled "Hun, you got nothing to be sorry for." He  
  
assured her. He pulled her close to him again and she snuggled  
  
into him wraping her arms around his neck, her finger played  
  
with the fur along the back of his neck.  
  
"That's what I love about you Chrome," She managed a part  
  
smile "Your full of shit!"  
  
"Now, now, Lover," He teased "No need for name calling."  
  
"My heads just all screwed up...somedays I just don't see  
  
the point." She rested her head on his chest again.  
  
"The point of what?" He asked running his fingers through  
  
her hair.  
  
"Everything." She sighed "Sometimes I think it would just  
  
be better if I had died in that explosion."  
  
"Jess! Comon, you can't mean that."  
  
"Damn straight I do!" Anger building in her voice. "The  
  
fightings never going to stop! So we get rid of the  
  
Plutarikians... we still have the Sand Raiders and the Rats!"  
  
She sighed her anger expelling through the breath.  
  
"You'll see...someday this place will be as we knew it!  
  
The fighting will end and we'll all live happyily ever after!"  
  
"Anyone ever tell you your a hopeless optimist Chrome?"  
  
"Anyone ever tell you your a hopless pessimest?"  
  
Jessie looked over his shoulder her eyes distance.  
  
"Once." Was her reply. Her eyes wandered over to the clock on  
  
the table next to the bed and she sat bolt upright.  
  
"What is it?" Chrome proped himself on one elbow alarmed.  
  
"Shit!" Jessie muttered throwing the covers off herself  
  
and started searching around for her clothes. "I told Pirro that  
  
I'd be in to watch the obtobsy this morning, on the mouse we  
  
found! I'm late!" She struggled into her Freedome Fighter  
  
uniform smoothing it in place.  
  
Chrome watched from the bed her movement tantilizing him  
  
in the slowly awakening dawn. "mmmmm....you should dress for me  
  
more often." He said grining at her but with a underlying  
  
hunger.  
  
"Chrome, I'm late already! You know the shit Pirro's gona  
  
layon me as is??" She pulled on her gloves, tugging them into  
  
place.  
  
"Oh let him wait!" Chrome grabed her with his tail and  
  
pulled her over to the bed. "That mouse ain't going anywhere."  
  
The scowl that came over Jessie face told him that he'd  
  
just steped into it big time. "That's awful of you to say! He  
  
was a fellow Freedom fighter, show a little respect!"  
  
Chrome winced "I didn't mean it like that," he apoligized  
  
"I wasn't thinking."  
  
Jessie smiled down at him. "No, you were just using the  
  
wrong part to think with," She unwound his tail from her waist.  
  
"Just hold onto those happy thoughts, I'll be back." She petted  
  
the end of his tail patrinizing.  
  
He sighed. "Oh ya,right!" He muttered sarcastically. He  
  
got up and start hauling on his own uniform. "I might as well go  
  
with you, not much for me to do here by myself."  
  
"Well..." She gave him a wicked look.  
  
"I don't think so." He said putting his hands on his hips  
  
and looking indignent she even thought he would. It looked  
  
pretty comical with him half into his uniform the rest around  
  
his hips and laying on the bed.  
  
"Comon Rusty, get the lead out."  
  
Chrome looked at her and scowled hurrying to get dressed.  
  
"You know I don't like that name."  
  
"Ya, well I don't like it when you call me Lover." She  
  
swished her tail in front of his face and then teasingly over  
  
her body. He quickly looked back to getting dressed.  
  
When he was finished dressing the two made their way down  
  
the hallway and Chrome although much taller was hard pressed to  
  
keep up with the lith white mouse.  
  
"I just want to know what the hell is going on here!" She  
  
muttered marching down the hall towards Pirro's lab. "I mean who  
  
kills a mouse and takes his clothes too?"  
  
  
  
IV.  
  
"Your late." Was all Pirro said as the two walked into  
  
the room.  
  
"I got held up." Jess said looking pointingly at Chrome  
  
who smiled in responce.  
  
"I bet you did..."Pirro muttered "Here," He passed a box  
  
full of plastic gloves in her direction. He pulled back the  
  
sheet and Jessie looked at the mouse in front of her. His throat  
  
was a mess of fur, skin, and cartlige. It looked as if something  
  
had tried to wrip his throat out.  
  
"Direct blow to his windpipe." He moved his hand over the  
  
wound and nodded in satifaction. "Feel here?" He moved her hand  
  
to the position and she felt the bones and noticed the edges  
  
where smooth.  
  
Pirro looked up. "Who ever did this knew right what they  
  
were doing. I figure an females elbow or some small object of  
  
the same shape."  
  
Chrome cocked his head to one side. "Why say a females?"  
  
"There's no bruse marks around the throat and no broken  
  
bones on the side. It had to be small and conpact. Maybe a male  
  
that was small but I'd rather place my bet on a female. Or like  
  
I said something small shaped in the same form." He pulled his  
  
gloves off and thew them in a trash, Jessie did the same.  
  
"So, what did he die from?"  
  
"Lack of air...crushed windpipe does that. I assume your  
  
asking if there was any sign that he was killed other then the  
  
obvious. Not that I can see, there are a few bruses on the upper  
  
shoulders. Looks like he grapled with someone. Small, also  
  
suporting the female theory."  
  
"Thanks Pirro." Jessie nodded "Find anything else you let  
  
us know right?"  
  
"Course," Jess and Chrome turned to leave when he spoke  
  
again. "How's the back doing by the way?"  
  
"Fine." Jess answered curtly  
  
"You were susposed to some see me yesterday for a chech  
  
up." He frowned at her.  
  
"Well as you can see I was kinda busy." She gestured to  
  
the corpse on the table.  
  
"I expect to see you here today then." He told her.  
  
"I'm going to be busy today, there is a killer running  
  
around." Jessie put her hand on her hip.  
  
"Which you can catch after I say your fit for duty."  
  
Pirro raised his chin. "I want you here after lunch, if your not  
  
I'm pulling you from duty."  
  
Jessie clenched her fists and her eyes flashed with  
  
anger. "Fine." She muttered turning her back on him and left the  
  
room.  
  
  
  
V.  
  
"How does that feel?"  
  
Jessie bit back a wince. "That's fine." She said in a  
  
tence voice.  
  
"These stitches aren't healing as fast as I hoped." He  
  
frowned and prodded her back again with his fingertips. "What  
  
have you been doing lately?"  
  
"The usual," She replied testly "Eating, sleeping, riding  
  
my bike, blowing up Plutarkains, sex. You know the usual stuff."  
  
"I thought I told you to take it easy. Expecitally on the  
  
physical exertian."  
  
"You did," She snapped "I just didn't listen."  
  
"Well your going to have to listen!" Pirro snaped back  
  
"This is your life were talking about here Jess! " He prodded  
  
her back again and she bit down on her lip to keep from wincing.  
  
"I felt you tence at that." He glared down at her. "Go get  
  
dressed. That's it I'm removing you from duty till those heal."  
  
"WHAT!!" Jessie exploded rounding on him "You can't do  
  
that to me! I've got things to do!"  
  
"Well they'll just have to do without you for about a  
  
month or so. I'll inform Carbine and Stoker about my  
  
desicision." He turned from her and she grabed his arm in a firm  
  
grip and he winced with the presure.  
  
"You can't do that." He voice was low and mencing. "I can  
  
do my job. This is all I have."  
  
"The desision is made Jess." The finality was hard in his  
  
voice. He pulled his arm from her grip her fingers having left  
  
red marks. "Go get dressed."  
  
"This is not the end of this, Pirro." She threatened.  
  
He ignored her turning back to his chart in his hand.  
  
  
  
VI.  
  
The door slambed in the room and Jessie walked past  
  
Chrome who was sitting in the sitting room listening to the  
  
radio. He turned it down as she came by.  
  
"So how did it go?" He asked following her movements  
  
across the room.  
  
The door to the bedroom slambed in responce.  
  
"That well hunh?" He muttered going back to the radio and  
  
fiddiling with the dial. Finally able to pick up a radio signel  
  
he left it there for a few moments.  
  
~Reports have it that the Plutarkian have moved west  
  
across the Taro Dunes into the city of Shazian. There is no word  
  
of casualitys yet but the militlary have told us that they have  
  
sent renforcements. The numbers seem overwhelming though in the  
  
sight of the superior firepower of the Plutarian forces....wait  
  
a minute...I've just gotton a report...~ there was a pause in  
  
the broadcast as the reporter talked with someone off mike.  
  
~There seems to be a freedom fighter out on the field.~  
  
Chrome sat up straighter. Charbine had sent military out  
  
there eariler this morning but as far as he'd known Stoker  
  
hadn't sent anyone out that way.  
  
~Yes, a mouse who is definally wearing freedom fighter  
  
garb. We are uncertain if it's male or female at this instance  
  
but red hair and a tail was said to be seen. They drove into the  
  
middle of the battle and plowed through the Plutarkians with a  
  
vengence, seemly helping the poor citizens escape. The bike was  
  
black in color flecked with red paint along the left side.~  
  
Every mussle in Chrome's body grew cold and his fur stood  
  
on end. "Jess! You better get the hell out here!" He bellowed.  
  
She apeared in the door way instanly dressed in a long  
  
t-shirt. "What's going on?" She asked her voice holding a sence  
  
of inpatiance.  
  
"That mouse that died yesterday? His bike has been spoted  
  
on the battle field out by Shazian."  
  
Jessie stalked over "Fighing with the Plutarkains no  
  
dout."  
  
"No, that's the weird part. Their helping the citizens  
  
escape FROM the Plutarkains."  
  
"Comon," Chrome urged gesturing at her "Get dressed  
  
Stokes gona need to know about this."  
  
Jessie muttered something under her breath "I'm coming."  
  
She went back in the room and got dressed and the two went to  
  
see Stoker.  
  
  
  
VII.  
  
The freedom fighter base was a flurry of activity by the  
  
time they got there. The two moved up by the side of Stoke who  
  
was already trying to calm a pirticular vocal freedom fighter  
  
who was insisting they all charge out there and grab the rouge.  
  
Chrome opened his mouth but Stoker raised a hand.  
  
"I've heard, and no. Carbine and her group can take care of it."  
  
"Hump," Jessie snorted snidely "The army can't take care  
  
of a coctail party."  
  
"What was that, Leutient?" Stoker said glaring down at  
  
her.  
  
"I said the army is a bunch of fools, Sir." She snaped at  
  
him.  
  
"You are way out of line, officer. They are our allies  
  
and none of the mice here may agree with their tactics but we  
  
are all on the same side."  
  
"Now we are, but how many mice had to be slaughtered  
  
first."  
  
"That is quite enough. Now listen people," Stoker said  
  
looking around at the group gathered around them. "The army has  
  
asked us to stay out of this conflict. Shazian is a miltiry  
  
town, and under the goverments juridiction. If we all go  
  
barelling in there then we may just kiss out alliance with the  
  
miltary goodbye. It's alway been on shaky ground as it is,  
  
expecitally this last month, with the capture." Many of the mice  
  
looked to the ground and placed hands on other mouses shoulders.  
  
"We need to keep it together, to show the military that we can  
  
be of use. We will catch this rouge mouse, or rat or whatever  
  
the hell it is, and they will be held responsible for Shon's  
  
death."  
  
Many mice nodded in responce with and before they could  
  
say anything else Stoker once again held up his hands. "I'm not  
  
about to let this go unchecked however. If there is a freedom  
  
fighter running around out there without otherizatin I want to  
  
know. That's why I'm going to send a couple of you mice out  
  
there to keep an eye on things." A few murmers went up from the  
  
mice about. "Under no curcumstances will anyone confront the  
  
enemy. This is an observation mission not a infiltry." He looked  
  
about. "Shandy, Raid, Steel, and Tau. I want the four of you out  
  
there and report back." The four mice nodded and they were out  
  
the door before he could say another word. "Shah, and Orlin. I  
  
need a couple extra guard out on along the east boarder." They  
  
both nodded and hurried away. "And the rest of you....get the  
  
hell outa here. Take some R&R or something while you can." A few  
  
mice chuckled nerviously and the croud started to thin out. Stoke  
  
turned and found himself facing Jessie. "What?" He asked  
  
"I want to go out there Stoke, Chome and Me found  
  
the body. I want this."  
  
"That's out of the question." Stoke put his hands on his  
  
hips "You shouldn't even be here. You've been suspended from  
  
duty."  
  
"What?" Chrome started turning to her "You didn't say  
  
anything."  
  
"That's because there's nothing wrong with me!" She  
  
glared at Stoker "I can do the job, Stoke. You know I can."  
  
"Not according to Pirro and he's the physician around  
  
here. Untill he says your fit, your off duty. Go home, relax."  
  
"No!" Jessie grabed his uniform and slambed him into the  
  
wall. Her eyes were wild and they seemed to bore into his. "This  
  
is what I do! You can't take this from me!"  
  
Chrome grabed her arms and wressled her away from Stoker.  
  
He straightened his uniform and cleared his throat. "Take her  
  
home." He told Chrome. "She's to volitile to be of any good to  
  
me."  
  
Jessie struggled against Chrome's grip but he held her  
  
like a vice. "Let me go!" She screamed "I won't let you do this  
  
to me! This is mine, do you hear me! I want this thing, I'm  
  
going to hunt them down and kill them for what they've done!"  
  
She was nearly histerical. "I won't let them win!"  
  
Chrome struggled with her now, as she flayled about in a  
  
frenzy. "She histerical!"  
  
"Someone get Pirro!" Stoke yelled "And tell him to bring  
  
some seditives!"  
  
Jessie suddenly bit down hard on Chrome's hand and he  
  
yelled in pain letting go of her arm. Blood welled up from the  
  
bite. She took advantage and elbowed him in the stomach. He  
  
doubled over in pain and Jessie managed to escape from his grip.  
  
She pulled her gun from it's holser on her thigh and she leveled  
  
it finding Stoker with one leveled at her.  
  
"Jess," Stokes voice was soft but held a raw edge to it.  
  
"You don't want to do this. Comon give me the gun." He reached  
  
one hand out before him and her eyes darted back and forth at  
  
the tence mice who had reacted to her screaming.  
  
"Keep away from me!" She yelled "I'm not going to let you  
  
stop me." She was looking for a way to escape. He eyes darted to  
  
the closed window by her side and Stoke realized her plan one  
  
instant to late. She jumped through the pane, her arms before  
  
her face, shelding her eyes. Glass scratched across her arms and  
  
she fell towards the ground. She hit hard rolling to her feet  
  
she grunted in pain and wraped an arm around her waist. Whisling  
  
through her teeth she ran across the sand away from the Freedom  
  
fighter base. Her bike came speeding up by the side of her and  
  
she jumped on. The two speed over the next sand doon and out of  
  
site.  
  
Pirro hurried into the room with a hypo in his hand only  
  
to hear the mumering going through the room. He came over to  
  
where Chrome was leaning against the wall holding his hand.  
  
"What happened?" He asked inspecting the wound.  
  
"It's nothing." Chrome said wincing as Pirro looked at  
  
the bite.  
  
"Looks like someone bit you!" he said astonished.  
  
"Doesn't it?" He grined grimly.  
  
Stoker came over. "It was Jessie." He said "She just went  
  
balistic and flung herself from the window."  
  
Pirro's eyes went wide and Stoker shook his head. "Damn  
  
it. I should have seen this coming. She's been under too much  
  
stress."  
  
"What did you say to her?" Pirro asked  
  
"I told her that she was removed from duty and she went  
  
nuts."  
  
Chrome looked at him. "I'm not surprised. She hasn't been  
  
herself for the last month or so. Just before we got back. She's  
  
actually calmed down since then though."  
  
Stokers eyes looked as if something had just dawned on  
  
him and he cursed under his breath. "Well we have to find her. I  
  
can't let her run around in that condidtion, she's a danger to  
  
herself and everyone she somes across."  
  
"Let me look for her Sir." Chrome asked "If anyone can  
  
get through to her I think I can."  
  
"Agreed," Stoker said nodding his head. "But your going  
  
to need someone to go with you. Pirro?" He turned to the doctor.  
  
"Me?" He asked startled "But Stoke I'm no fighter, or  
  
tracker."  
  
"No but your a doctor and our only shrink, although the  
  
later you kinda stink at." Pirro gave him a wry grin.  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
"Go with him, she looked like she hurt herself in that  
  
fall, and you may have to sedate her to get her back here. Try  
  
not to hurt her but Chrome, if she does anything stupid, like  
  
ride into the middle of that war zone, then get her the hell  
  
out. Batter brused whatever as long as she ain't dead."  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Do you?" He asked "Our tail are this close," he held his  
  
two fingers but inches apat. " to getting shut out of this thing  
  
all together. If Carbine gets a glance at her in this unstable  
  
condition she might just stop cooperation with the Freedom  
  
Fighters. We need all of us working together to win this war. We  
  
have to make the leaders sacrifice count for somthing."  
  
  
  
VIII.  
  
Chrome and Pirro looked over the dunes before them each  
  
on a bike, "She went..." they both started.  
  
"I think out of the two of us I know Jessie better."  
  
Chrome said "And if I know Jessie she's headed into the middle  
  
of battle."  
  
"You may sleep with the mouse," Pirro quiped "But I'm the  
  
one that treats her. You'd be amazed what your patients tell you  
  
and if you ask me, I say she would try to find out about this  
  
thing more before she charged headlong into battle."  
  
"Well nobody asked you," Chrome shifted in his seat atop  
  
his bike. "And I think she tells me a little more then her  
  
doctor."  
  
"Jessie has some phycological theropy with me to after  
  
she got back."  
  
Chrome started and looked over at him. "I didn't know  
  
that."  
  
"I'm sure there's alot about Jessie you don't know." He  
  
said smuggly "Like first of all Jessie isn't her full name."  
  
"It's not?"  
  
"No, it's Jessica. Although she doesn't like it." Chrome  
  
looked back over the dunes.  
  
"Why?" Chrome asked "Jessica is a nice name."  
  
"I can't say, patient confidality." Pirro said a bit to  
  
smuggly  
  
"Bull shit!" Chrome looked to him. "What else do you  
  
know?"  
  
"Alot."  
  
"I don't think you know anything else, and that Jessica  
  
thing probabbly isn't a secret. I only knew Jess a couple months  
  
before we were sent out on that mission. She wasn't very  
  
talkitive after that."  
  
Pirro nodded. "She was alot more friendly before that.  
  
But then again she hadn't lost someone close to her before  
  
that."  
  
"And what's that susposed to mean?"  
  
"Well it's just that she was close to one of the Freedom  
  
fighter leaders, or so I've heard."  
  
"Close?" Chrome's voice held a sort of how close term to  
  
it.  
  
"Like that." Pirro crossed his fingers. "She never talked  
  
about it to me though. Wouldn't even bring it up. Though we  
  
talked extencivly." He emphizied the last point. "She must have  
  
loved him very much. It's a shame really."  
  
He let the silence go for a few minutes. Before he turned  
  
back to Chrome. "So, how long have the two of you been  
  
involved?"  
  
His tone sounded light but the implication was there.  
  
Your just a subsitute. She didn't love you. Your just the  
  
rebound guy.  
  
Chrome gritted his teeth. "Almost two years now."  
  
Pirro let a whissle out between his teeth. "That's a long  
  
time. And she never told you?"  
  
His tone once again light but the implications were  
  
there. Two years and she still hasn't confided in you.Can't love  
  
you that much if she still didn't trust you with her feelings  
  
yet.  
  
"No." He said testly.  
  
"Hmmmm."Pirro rubed a hand under his chin. "After this is  
  
all over I wonder what she'll do, I mean I can never see Jessie  
  
to settle down."  
  
The with you was left out but Chrome could almost hear it  
  
there.  
  
"I wonder what type of mouse it would take to tye that  
  
one up for good."  
  
"Are you implying that I couldn't??" Chrome finally  
  
snapped  
  
"I never said anything of the sort." Pirro objected but  
  
the hint of that smug smile was there. "But now that you mention  
  
it...I mean it has been two years."  
  
"Oh and I suspose the type of mouse would be you!" Chrome  
  
shot back.  
  
"Well, yes. At least I listen to her. Not to mention her  
  
back, I mean I care about her saftey after all."  
  
The next thing Pirro saw was a fist coming at him and he  
  
fell to the sand. Reaching up he held his jaw. Chrome stood over  
  
him blocking the sun. "You barbarian!" Pirro struggled to sit  
  
up.  
  
Chrome put a foot on his chest and forced him back into  
  
the sand. "I never came across a mouse that I didn't like." He  
  
said in a snarl "But I beleive I'm gona make an exception for  
  
you. Just because Jessie hasn't told me things about herself  
  
doesn't mean she doesn't love me, you got that?"  
  
"But you have to wonder don't you?"  
  
"Listen," Chrome reached down and pulled him to his  
  
feet."I have to work with you to find Jessie but I don't have to  
  
like you. And you don't need you tounge to help her, so you  
  
either shut-up or the next word you say's gona be you last." He  
  
smoothed the doctors unifom and steped back. "That clear?"  
  
"Crystal."  
  
A beeping was heard over Chrome's radio.  
  
He walked over to it and flicked a switch. "Chrome here."  
  
~Chrome this is Stoker, we got a sighting of Jess over on  
  
the south side near that old base. Over~  
  
Pirro looked over and then to the sky.  
  
"I got that Stoke, We'll check it out. Over and out." He  
  
looked over at Pirro and got on his bike. "Not a word." He  
  
warned. Pirro said nothing but that hint of a smile was there.  
  
Chrome bent over his bike and took the lead. He'd been right  
  
about this....what else could he be right about? 


	2. Two

Title: A mouse by Any Other Name  
  
Author: Mandragoran  
  
Rating: R (For violence)  
  
Disclaimer: The Bikermice do not belong to me, they belong to other people other then me...the other mice characters belong to me though...please ask permission before using them...thanks  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
X.  
  
They pulled outside the base to find Jessie's bike with lazors trained at them.  
  
"Easy, boy." Chrome tried to sooth. "It's me, you know your buddy Chrome." The bike hesitated and shot a lazor by his foot.  
  
"Fine," He grubled lowly "It's me...Rusty."  
  
The bike seemed to think for a moment before retracting it's weapons.  
  
"Rusty?" Pirro snickered.  
  
Chrome turned to him. "I though I tould you not a word!"  
  
Pirro shut his mouth but his face held a grin that was just as jabbing.  
  
They both moved into the old Plutarkian base the sound of their feet heavy on the old metal plating.  
  
The sound of a lazor gun cocking caught Chromes attention first and he imedently dove for cover and pulling his gun with one hand while hauling Pirro with him with the other. A lazor shot singed the wall that had been infront of him leaving a long scorch mark.  
  
"Chrome??" The startled voice he recoginized "It that you?"  
  
"That depends," Chrome quiped back "Are you going to shoot me?"  
  
"Are you going to dope me up? I do assume that's Pirro with you. If Stoke thinks for one minute...!"  
  
Chrome tentivly raised from his hiding spot and looked at Jess. "Hey Lover, no one's gona dope you up with anything unless your planing on going phyco on me."  
  
"Well,...I guess not." She replaced her gun.  
  
"Oh my poor head." Pirro complained getting to his feet. "Thanks." He said snidly at Chrome.  
  
"You sould thank him." Jessie said pointing to the scorch mark "That could have been your head."  
  
Pirro looked shocked at the wall and Chrome walked past him a snide grin on his face. "So, what have you been doing except redecoration all these hours?" Chrome asked.  
  
Jessie led him into a large room that looked like some sort of lab, "What? you don't just luvvv what I've done to the place?"  
  
Chrome grined at her and she grined back.  
  
"I've been trying to get into the main computer systems of this place. Remember the first thing that Stoke ever taught us. Know you ememy better then they know themselves...so that's what I want to know. She came from here, she has to be in here somewhere."  
  
"You get any progress made?" He asked looking over the twisted wires and jurry rigged consoules.  
  
"I almost had it running before you chouder heads  
  
interupted. How'd you get by my bike anyway?"  
  
"Ole Rusty here convinced him." Pirro snickered.  
  
"Sorry about that," Jessie smirked "But I'm afraid that's all he's ever heard me refer to you as..." She cleared her throat and looked away from his bayful glare. "Give me a few more minutes and I sould be able to get something."  
  
Good to her word, a few minutes later she had the main computer back on line. "It's got a few holes in it's main data base but lets see what I can hack into. Lucky for us the Plutarkian's didn't think to use sificated sercurity systems..." She snorted "Like that would have been a problem for yours truely anyway....hold the communicator for a moment,"  
  
She glared intently at the screen. "What the heck is this??" She scanned it breafly and her eyes kept getting wider and wider. "Hey you two, listen to this." Jessie read from the screen.  
  
~The splicing went almost to perfection. The speciem is begaining to show eairly development and this morning a finger moved within the containment jar. We hope that before to long it will be fully aware of it's suroundings. This speciem shows more promice then  
  
any of the others and we think for once that the combonation of Plutarkian and Martian Mouse DNA have finally combined in the right combination. The speciem is showing signs of developing a martian tail although it apears to not have the martian ears. This is unfortunate, as we had been hoping to make the speciem as completly martian mouse in apperiance as possible as it would  
  
make infiltration much easier in the long run.~  
  
  
  
The three looked at each other.  
  
"Gean splicing with a Plutarkain?" Pirro frowned "I don't like the sound of that."  
  
"You and me both." Jessie assured him "This one's dated a week later."  
  
  
  
~Todays programing went forward flawlessly. The subject whom the is lovengly refered to as Sierra, shows a keen understanding of warfare and killing tecniques. She is learning quickly and can absorb any information given to her almost instintantily. She seems however to like questioning why she must kill but that will be bred out of her during her programing. She is now the  
  
equivilent age mind of a teenager although she is only three days old. The inhanced aging process also seems to stimilate the brain functions and learning centers. This will be an vaubile information tool and this information will help us better to make more of her kind in the upcoming years. This virtual unstopable army will make short work of our rodent problem on this planent  
  
as apon full development she is theorizied to be able to take down twice her number in closed confinements. She needs little food or water and is immune to every disease we have thrown at her. An army would be virtually unstopable.~  
  
  
  
Chrome whisled "If the Plutarkian go their hands on that kind of warrior the war would be over faster then Cabine could curse."  
  
"There's more," Jessie added and continued to read aloud.  
  
~Project completian of Sierra, has been put on perminate hold. It seems that in the combination of geans is a overly high mental instablilty. The mouse and plutarikain DNA are vertually at war with one another and the hormones in her body make her mind unstable. Untill we have learned how to corect this problem the project has been ordered to be stalled. This is a shame because  
  
it was only another couple months before she would have been able to be field tested.~  
  
"The last entry was dated just one week before this place was attacked." Jessie said "There's no more."  
  
"You mean one week before you blew it up." Chrome  
  
corected  
  
"Picky, Picky." Jessie taped in a few more comands and took a small shiny disk out of a slot in a computer that looked like a very small CD. "This has all the information and logs on it that the Plutarikans had."  
  
"What I want to know is if she was here when the base got blown up then how has she managed to survive? That was almost five years ago. " Pirro asked eyes shining. "I mean if I knew the scientific benifits alone...."  
  
"Well wory about that later." Jess said sliping the disk into a pouch. "We have to find this thing before it can do any more harm."  
  
"Oh-no," Pirro shook his head. "We have orders to take you back to the base."  
  
Jessie turned to Chrome. "Comeon Chrome," She said "This is a chance for me to prove myself as part of the team. No one else knows this and this thing is running around in the midst of that war out there. By the time we get back to base report and they send someone out to Carbine it may be too late! This thing is dangerous, we have the opertunity to save some lives here. What do ya say Rusty?"  
  
Chrome looked from Jess to Pirro and was suddenly aware that he was the one in charge here. His disesion would either send them back to base or into the middle of a war. Jessie wore that grin on her face, the one that got him to do just about anything she wanted. Only this was diffrent. He knew she was right, he knew that this was the only solution.  
  
"Yes." He finally said.  
  
"But Chrome!" Pirro objected "We can't!"  
  
"But we have to, don't you see?" He moved up to Piorro and gestured to the facility around them. "This place was a gean splicing facility. They were trying to create the perfect soldier. The perfect warrior. They almost did it, but something went wrong. We attacked them before they could fix it and now it's loose. If we don't stop this thing, this super warior it could turn the tide of this battle."  
  
"But it's fighting on our side! With us!"  
  
"Yes, Pirro it is...but for how long? How long till it decides that we're not the way to exact it's revenge? Till it's warped mind decides that we're to blame too! We have to stop it and we have to stop it now, before it decides that! Not to mention what the Plutarkians would have if they got their hands on her, I mean all this research could easily be duplicated."  
  
"That's what I always loved about you Rusty," Jessie grined.  
  
"I know," He sighed but smiled "I'm full of shit."  
  
"No," She moved up to him and lightly kissed him. "Your sence of duty."  
  
He blinked in surprise and then cleared his throat.  
  
"Pirro," He turned to the red haired mouse. "I know your no fighter, and your more comphortable holding a scapel then a gun, so I'm not asking you to come with us. I want you to go to Stoker. Tell him what we found, what we're doing." He grined "And after he yells at you for letting us go, tell him to send backup  
  
will ya."  
  
Pirro blinked in surprise at his gentle barbing. The two of them rivals for a mouse that didn't seem to want to get close to either of them.But he was now sure that if the choice ever had to be made, he knew which mouse she would choose. "Sure, Chrome. I'll do that."  
  
Chrome held out his hand and Pirro hesitated before clasping forearms with him. "I won't let you down."  
  
"Were counting on it." Chrome assured him.  
  
Pirro nodded and giving Jessie a nod also headed back to the freedom fighter base.  
  
"Well lover," Chrome turned back to Jessie "Looks like it's just you and me again."  
  
"I wish you would stop calling me that!" She sighed  
  
poking him with an elbow in the ribs. "And it won't be the last time were on our own, I can almost gaurentee it."  
  
"True. So, you want to find Carbine first or this Sierra?"  
  
"If I had to face either one? Sierria." She said without a hint of hesitatation.  
  
  
  
XI.  
  
The two sped over the dunes and Jessie realized that ever now and then Chrome would look over at her.  
  
"What is it Chrome?" She finally asked  
  
"It's nothing..."He sighed and fell silent  
  
Jessie shook her head and went back to watching sensors.  
  
They were just outside the town when Jessie pulled up.  
  
"We don't just want to charge in there." She explained "Carbine will have both our skins."  
  
Bullet shots tore up the sand by the side of her and she startled, ducking low.  
  
"Looks like we're not going to get a choice." Chrome said low in his seat too.  
  
The two mice turned to be greated by a Plutarkian digging machine. Two plutarkians were inside the cockpit and another two snipers where perched on top of the roof.  
  
Jessie nodded to him and she split left and he split right. The two shot lines each snaggin a front leg. Around the sides of the machine the two of them went crossing each other in the back of the thing. Back to the front and then straight ahead. The front two legs of the thing buckled and it tipped forward.  
  
They both cut the lines and got out of it's way as it crashed into the sands.  
  
Chrome pulled up along side it almost wincing as Jessie shot the pinned Plutarkians, that wicked almost glee entering her eyes before she turned back to him. "We must be close."  
  
He nodded in agreement turning to his sensor so he wouldn't have to witness the blood bath that Jessie was obviously having fun with. She scared even him sometimes. "I don't think it's much farther…I'm getting a large cluster of organic life up ahead…or something along that anyway." He turned back to her trying to ignore the dead Plutarkians. "It's kinda a weird reading."  
  
"Well," Jessie resheithed her gun. "Lets check it out."  
  
The mouse turned at the sound of a gun being cocked and found a blaster aimed at his head. "What are you doing?" He asked incredublesly  
  
The strange black female mouse grinned "Just dishing out a little payback." She said gleefully.  
  
"I don't understand you were just helping us! Your not making any se- " He was cut off abrubtly as his brains splattered across the sands behing him. He fell with a thud his eyes wide and glassy.  
  
She chuckled loudly "Didn't say I made sence…did I?" Reaching under the back of the bike, she drew out two martian grenades clicking them on. Lobbing them over her head, they landed in the middle of the saved refuges.  
  
"Anyone for a barbaque?" She chuckled.  
  
Jessie pushed her lips together as she serveyed the dead mice. "Guess she's not helping any more."  
  
Chrome grimiced "Guess not." He carefully moved his bike away from someones arm. It was no longer attached to it's owner. 


End file.
